Compartmented envelope having independently accessible compartments



Jan. 7, 1969 e. L. COOPER CONPAR'I'MENTED ENVELOPE HAVING INDEPENDENTLY ACCESSIBLE COMPARTMENTS Sheet 1 of 2 Filed on. so. 1967 263 fire,

FIGOZ I N VEN T0? eorgefl 00a G. L. COOPER COMPARTMENTED ENVELOPE HAVING INDEPENDENTLY Jan. 7. 1969 ACCESSIBLE COMPARTMENTS Sheet Filed 00$. 50, 1967 v m v /vm? georgcL. Cqaper United States Patent 3,420,432 COMPARTMENTED ENVELOPE HAVING INDE- PENDENTLY ACCESSIBLE COMPARTMENTS George L. Cooper, Arlington Heights, 111., assignor to Arvey Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 678,788 U.S. Cl. 229-71 2 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 27/04; B65d 27/08 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-compartmented envelope made from a unitary sheet of paper folded to define a rectangular back panel, a pair of side fiaps hinged on opposite edges of and folded against the back panel, a front panel hinged on a remaining edge of the back panel and folded against the side flaps, while the fourth edge of the back panel is hinged to a gummed flap which folds over into sealing contact with the front panel to seal the compart-mented envelope. Adhesive strips extend across the front panel normal to its hinge line to join the side flaps and the front panel together to define a front pocket or compartment therebetween, a second or rear pocket being defined by the side flaps and the back panel. The front panel carries means for tearing away a portion of itself to provide access to the front pocket. Each pocket of the envelope of this invention can thus be opened while leaving the other pocket in the envelope sealed.

Background of the invention This application relates to an improved envelope having two separate pockets in which each pocket can be independently opened while leaving the other sealed.

US. Patent No. 3,116,010 discloses an envelope containing two separate pockets and made from a unitary sheet of paper. Two-pocket envelopes are commonly used when it is desired to send mail of two different classes in one envelope, e.g., first class and third class mail. Present postal regulations permit the afiixin'g of a first class letter to a package or envelope containing material mailed by another postal class. Corporations and individuals make wide use of this technique for such purposes as sending letters and stock proxy forms (by first class mail) in conjunction with annual reports or other printed material (by third class mail), or for sending printed matter or small items of merchandise in conjunction with a letter or a bill.

The two-pocket envelope of US. Patent No. 3,116,010 has the drawback that only one, not both, of its pockets can be opened independently of the other pocket. This is a clear disadvantage, and it limits the use of such an envelope.

The envelope of this invention contains two compartments or pockets, either of which can be independently opened without opening the other. The envelope of this invention is made from a unitary sheet of paper, which greatly simplifies its manufacture.

Description of the invention The envelope of this invention is composed of a unitary sheet which is folded so as to define a rectangular back panel having a pair of side flaps hinged to an opposed pair of edges of the back panel and folded over against the back panel in an overlapping relationship. A front panel is hinged to one of the remaining edges of the back panel and is folded over against the side flaps. The front panel carries spaced lines of adhesive extending substantially parallel to the hinge lines of the side flaps, sealing the side flaps to the front panel to define a front pocket therebetween. A back pocket is defined by the side flaps ice and the back panel, and the fourth edge of the back panel has a gummed flap hinged thereto which folds over and closes both pockets of the envelope by sealing to the front panel.

The front panel typically defines an aperture or window therein which is optionally covered with a transparent material such as cellophane. Extending from the periphery of the window are a pair of perforated lines which form an angle of no more than about with each other. When these perforated lines are broken, a portion of the front panel is freed, and can be pulled away from the rest of the front panel, providing access to the front pocket.

In circumstances when the front panel is of less width than the back panel, a portion of the side fiaps can be exposed to the gummed area of the sealing flap, and the outer, longitudinal edge of the folded front panel, which edge is opposite the fold line of the front panel, can be overlaid by the gummed portion of the sealing flap, sealing both the front panel and the side flaps to the sealing flap. Under these circumstances, the front pocket, defined by the side flaps and the front panel, will be isolated, i.e., it will not be opened when the envelope is slit along the fold line between the sealing fiap and the back panel, but only the back pocket will be exposed. Similarly, when the above-mentioned perforated lines are broken, only the front pocket will be exposed.

The drawings generally illustrate the envelope of this invention, as well as the progressive steps of folding the unitary sheet disclosed herein into the finished envelope.

FIGURE 1 shows the flat unitary sheet prior to its folding into the envelope of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the unitary sheet of FIGURE 1 which has one of the side flaps folded against the back panel.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the same sheet in which both side flaps are folded against the back panel, overlapping each other.

FIGURE 4 is a view showing the front panel folded against the side flaps, with an insert partially placed in the front pocket, defined by the front panel, side flaps, and adhesive lines.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the sealed envelope of this invention, containing an insert in the front pocket.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the envelope of this invention showing the front pocket opened by severing the perforated lines and lifting away a portion of the front panel.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing the back pocket opened by severing the hinge between the back panel and the sealing flap.

Referring to the drawings, a unitary sheet is scored to provide fold lines which define a rectangular back panel 10; side fiaps 12 and 14 which are respectively hinged to the back panel 10 along hinge lines 16 and 18; front panel 20 which is hinged to the back panel along hinge line 22; and sealing flap 24 which is hinged to the back panel along hinge line 26. The sealing fiap carries a gummed area 25 for sealing the envelope.

Front panel 20 carries on its side which is to be folded inward spaced lines of adhesive 28 and 30 which typically extend the width of the panel in a direction perpendicular to the hinge line 22 and parallel to hinge lines 16 and 18 of the side flaps. A third adhesive line 32 is shown running between adhesive lines 28 and 30 and parallel to hinge line 22. This optional line of adhesive 32 can be used to create a first pocket between the side flaps and the front panel having less width than the width of the front panel. Spots of adhesive can be used instead of a line for the same purpose, and, if desired, the length of the above pocket can be similarly reduced through the use of adhesive lines or spots parallel to and between lines 28 and 30.

Adhesive line 31 is an optional means for adhering the overlapping side flaps 12 and 14 together when the envelope is folded.

The front panel 20 defines a window 34 which is optionally overlaid with a piece of cellophane 36 or other transparent material on the side of the front panel which is intended to face the interior of the assembled envelope.

Perforated lines 38 and 40 in the front panel 20 extend from the periphery 42 of window 34, and away from the periphery at such an angle with respect to each other that the directions defined by the lines, as seen from their intersections with periphery 42, form an angle with each other of no more than about 90. This arrangement of perforated lines permits a portion of the front panel 20 to be torn away from the rest of the panel by grasping a portion of panel 20 near the periphery 42 and between the two perforated lines, and pulling the area of panel 20 between the perforated lines away from the rest of the panel by breaking the perforations to achieve the result shown in FIGURE 6.

In other words, although lines 38 and 40 do not intersect and therefore do not technically define an angle, the angle they would define, were they extended across periphery 42 to intersect each other, should be from about (i.e. the lines can be parallel) to 90. At angles which are significantly above 90, the portion of front panel intended to be torn away by severing the perforations of the lines 38 and 40 is lifted away with increasing difficulty as the angle between the lines at their imaginary intersection point increases. For example, when extensions of the perforated lines intersect at an angle of 170, a portion of the front panel 20 cannot be lifted away from the rest of the panel merely by severing the perforations of the two lines.

The envelope of this invention can be assembled by folding the unitary sheet shown in FIGURE 1 in the various steps shown in FIGURES 2 through 4 consecutively. The adhesive lines 28, 30, and 32 seal the front panel 20 to the two overlapping side flaps 12 and 14, thereby defining a first or front pocket 44, indicated in FIGURE 4, in which figure an insert 46 is shown partially placed in front pocket 44. A second or back pocket 48 is formed between the side flaps 12 and 14 and the back panel 10, and is indicated in FIGURES 3, 4, and 7. After assembly of the envelope, it can be sealed by folding sealing flap 24 with its gummed area over against the top of front panel 20 and side panels 12 and 14, as shown in FIGURE 5. The front panel 20 is of less width than the back panel 10, so that the edge 49 of the front panel which is opposite its hinged edge 22 is overlaid by the gummed portion 25 of sealing flap 24 when the envelope is sealed, thereby sealing the first compartment.

When the fold line 26 between the sealing flap 24 and the back panel 10 is severed in opening the envelope as shown in FIGURE 7, access is gained only to the back pocket 48. Front pocket 44 remains sealed by sealing flap 24 and its gummed surface 25.

Conversely, if it is desired to gain access to the front pocket while leaving the back pocket sealed, one can merely sever the perforations of lines 38 and 40, tearing away a portion of the front panel 20 as shown in FIGURE 6, thereby gaining access to the front pocket without opening the second.

I claim:

1. A dual compartment envelope composed of a unitary sheet, scored and folded to define a rectangular back panel, a pair of side flaps hinged to opposed edges of said back panel and folded over and against said back panel with one of said side flaps overlapping the other; a front panel formed with a window therein, said front panel being of less width than the back panel and being hinged to one of the remaining edges of said back panel and folded over and against said side flaps; spaced lines of adhesive between said front panel and side flaps extending substantially parallel to the hinge lines of said side flaps whereby the side flaps are sealed to the front panel to form a front pocket therebetween, said side flaps and said back panel defining a back pocket between them; a sealing flap hinged to the remaining edge of said back panel, and an area of adhesive material extending along the outermost longitudinal edge portion of said sealing flap, adapted to overlie a portion of the front panel and the upper longitudinal edge thereof, which edge is opposite the hinged edge of said front panel to isolate said front pocket so that access is not gained thereto when the hinge between the sealing flap and the back panel is severed to open said back pocket; and a pair of perforated lines in said front panel which strike the periphery of said window at spaced locations and extend away from said periphery, the direction defined by said lines, as viewed from their intersections with said periphery, forming an angle of no more than about 90 with each other, whereby the front pocket can be opened by breaking the perforations of said lines.

2. The dual compartment envelope of claim 1 in which another spaced line of adhesive between said front panel and side flaps extends substantially perpendicular to the hinge lines of said side flaps to define a front pocket having a Width less than the width of said front panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,828,065 3/1958 Heywood 229 2,965,282 12/1960 Whitman 22972 3,116,010 12/1963 Stevenson 22972 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

